The Source Magazine Top 50 Lyricists of All Time

[FedEx227]

Some of these guys are jokes that have no business being on this list.

Slug, Sage Francis, Immortal Technique, and I'm sure I'm forgetting a bunch of other underground artists that I once used to listen to are better than half the guys on this list.

Phonte, Aesop, Aceylone, etc. you know they wouldn't dig into the underground and do actual research for this. It's just 50 Most Popular Rappers ranked by who has best lyrics.

 

[dell71]

Phonte, Aesop, Aceylone, etc. you know they wouldn't dig into the underground and do actual research for this. It's just 50 Most Popular Rappers ranked by who has best lyrics.

I agree that popularity has a lot to do with it, but even then the order is highly questionable.

 

[Tailback U]

The Source is a joke anyway. Everybody stopped reading that magazine after 2pac and BIG died. Surprised they are still around even.

 

[1ke]

1. Rakim - Debatable
2. Nas - Couple slots too high
3. The Notorious B.I.G. - Right area
4. Jay-Z - Wrong
5. 2Pac - Too low
6. Eminem - Seems about right
7. KRS-One - Great rapper, and a founding father. Not a great lyricist tho.
8. Big Daddy Kane - Should be higher
9. Lauryn Hill - About 10 spots too high
10. Melle Mel - A joke. Wasnt even the best of the Furious 5. I think Kidd Creole was just as good.

11. LL Cool J - Too high
12. Chuck D - Same as KRS
13. Andre 3000 - Way too low.
14. Ice Cube - Again, not a GREAT lyricist.
15. Slick Rick - A bit too low
16. Scarface - Oh please.
17. The D.O.C. - Between 10-20, only 3000 and Ricky is better than DOC.
18. Kool G Rap - Solid
19. Big Pun - Solid
20. Q-Tip - Uhhhh, Phife???

21. Redman - Ok
22. Common - Nope, not a better lyricist that Jada
23. Mos Def - Blah
24. Jadakiss - Too low
25. Queen Latifah - Blah
26. Big L - A FUCKING SHAME
27. Pharoahe Monch
28. Talib Kweli
29. Snoop Dogg
30. Guru - Meh, seems right

31. Kanye West - Not sure if srs?
32. GZA - Tony Stark says hi.
33. Method Man - Meh
34. Black Thought - A bit low
35. Bun B - Again, not the best in his own group
36. Lil Wayne
37. Busta Rhymes
38. Posdnous
39. Prodigy
40. T.I. - Oh jesus

41. Fabolous
42. Ludacris
43. DMX
44. Canibus- Lyricist? He should be waaay higher
45. Lil Kim
46. Rick Ross - Oh for fucks sake.
47. Styles P
48. Royce da 5’9”
49. Lupe Fiasco
50. 50 Cent

Too many to comment, but this was ridiculous. Luda? 50?

Dumb list. Remembered why I havent picked up a Source in years.

 

[sraczk2011]

If the list is full of non-lyrical lyrical rappers, where's Cam'ron?

 

[Houston]

If this was most important/influential, then Rakim could be #1. Not the best though.

 

[BigBucs]

Lil Wayne, Rick Ross, Snoop, 50 Cent and Lil Kim are the biggest WTF names on the list. There are others like Queen Latifah which I dont think Im really qualified to question because I havent listened to her catalogue extensively. I wouldnt have put Ludacris, T.I Kanye (Pusha T >) or Royce (Joe Budden >) on the list. The rest may be worthy, just a matter of where they rank.

 

[BigBucs]

Anyone who has an opinion, when you get some free time post your top 50. OP should act as a decent baseline. Some of you should STFU about hip hop. Its the equivalent of me going into a metal/rock and roll thread trying to critique a top 20 guitarist of all time list, I have no business doing so.

 

[1ke]

If this was most important/influential, then Rakim could be #1. Not the best though.

Thats why I said debatable. I do however agree with you 100%, just dont know how to really knock "The R" down.

Lil Wayne, Rick Ross, Snoop, 50 Cent and Lil Kim are the biggest WTF names on the list. There are others like Queen Latifah which I dont think Im really qualified to question because I havent listened to her catalogue extensively. I wouldnt have put Ludacris, T.I Kanye (Pusha T >) or Royce (Joe Budden >) on the list. The rest may be worthy, just a matter of where they rank.

After reading what you said about Queen La, I was thinking. I always thought she was decent enough, and had a respectable flow. Very good for her time. The problem for her was. Lyte. How did it slip my mind? MC Lyte was twice the MC Queen was. Lyte had a dudes flow. Them putting Queen on and leaving Lyte off makes it more funny.

Also, why the lack of true west coast artists always confuses me from any lists out there. The Gangsta Rap era had its stars, and some damn good ones. No Eazy ever, no E-40, and why not Too $hort? Spice 1? Why not DJ Quik? All those dudes are twice the rappers of half the people on the list. One day I will make my Gangsta Rap list Ive been wanting to make for years, soon enough. (end rant)

 

[BigBucs]

Well the aforementioned gangsta rappers werent/arent really known for being great lyricist. Quik, 40 Water (acquired taste) and Spice 1 are respectable lyricist (as in not weak) but dont really belong on a top 50 list IMO. Short Dogg and Snoop certainly dont belong on a top 50 list, great artist but subpar lyricist. Some of Too Shorts earlier tracks standout (The Ghetto, Its Your Life) but he was never a lyricist. A gangsta rap list is deserving of its own, Id participate.

 

[j.hen]

Not even worth commenting on. :smh:

...SHIT

 

[1ke]

Well the aforementioned gangsta rappers werent/arent really known for being great lyricist. Quik, 40 Water (acquired taste) and Spice 1 are respectable lyricist (as in not weak) but dont really belong on a top 50 list IMO. Short Dogg and Snoop certainly dont belong on a top 50 list, great artist but subpar lyricist. Some of Too Shorts earlier tracks standout (The Ghetto, Its Your Life) but he was never a lyricist. A gangsta rap list is deserving of its own, Id participate.

No doubt. Agree on 99% of what you said. Only difference is I think a young Snoop was good enough. I also love love love me some Spice 1. Lol, a 10 year old Mexican kid in the hood growing up on Spice 1. Haha unreal.

 

[Champ]

Where is Dylan?

 

[BigBucs]

Doggystyle/The Chronic Snoop isnt a lyricist IMO. His flow/delivery and laid back style is what appealed to me. The production on Doggystyle is what stood out to me. Was perfect for his style.

 

[FedEx227]

Right, Snoop has never real had profound lyrics. Just a great style/flow/production combo.

Oh add Gift of Gab to my list of better lyricists than 75% of that list.

 

[Tailback U]

Anyone who has an opinion, when you get some free time post your top 50. OP should act as a decent baseline. Some of you should STFU about hip hop. Its the equivalent of me going into a metal/rock and roll thread trying to critique a top 20 guitarist of all time list, I have no business doing so.

Why don't you go ahead and do that first.

Ike - westcoast/gangster rappers will never get credit for being pure lyricists because the underlying theme of most of their shit was the same.

That said, my favorite west coast lyricists would include blackalicious, gift of gab, jurassic 5, mc eiht, heiroglyphics, souls of mischief, living legends, dilated peoples.

 

[FedEx227]

Lol right. When I get an extra 2 hours i'll do that for ya.

 

[1ke]

Why don't you go ahead and do that first.

Ike - westcoast/gangster rappers will never get credit for being pure lyricists because the underlying theme of most of their shit was the same.

That said, my favorite west coast lyricists would include blackalicious, gift of gab, jurassic 5, mc eiht, heiroglyphics, souls of mischief, living legends, dilated peoples.

Youre correct, and its a very valid point but thats why I dont like it. Just because the theme was "Fuck the Police" doesn't mean that some of these dudes couldnt flow. It annoys me because I grew up on West Coast rap, and gravitated to it more because it was always sampling from some sort of Funk band and blending it so good. They need their credit dammit! MC Eiht, Eiht Hype Thug!!!!!! CMW!!!!!!!!!! AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!

 

[BigBucs]

Why don't you go ahead and do that first.

Ill get around to it in the next day or few.

 

[dell71]

TBH, I think some of you are selling short Cube, KRS and Chuck D. None of them have smooth flows or complex rhyme schemes but they all attacked lyricism from a content standpoint and gave us some of the most insightful rap songs and albums of all time.

There are good reasons why most west coast gangsta rappers are not known as great lyricists. They were all inspired by Cube (& Ice-T) very very few of them could come anywhere near shedding the same light on the west coast lifestyle that he could. He told stories that really put us in the lifestyle, made us think about his point of view and made it relatable to people not from Cali. He was scary to some because he actually had something to say. Most of the rest just repeatedly pretended to be the biggest baddest gang-banger they could possibly be. There was no substance. Then you add in the fact that most of them had really simple flows, rhyme schemes and vocabularies. That said, there were/are some standouts: MC Eiht, Kurupt, Ras Kass, Xzibit (before he started pimpin' rides, lol), The Game.

Other west coast non-gangstas I'm a fan of: Heiroglyphics, Souls of Mischief, Del the Funkee Homosapien and two I think could definitely replace a lot of people on this list, Blu and Fashawn.